Residents return after assisted living facilities evacuated

August 29, 2013|By Karen Ann Cullotta | Special to the Tribune

Deer Path in northwest suburban Huntley was evacuated, according to an emergency dispatcher. (Tribune illustration from googlemaps)

After a natural gas leak forced an evacuation this morning, residents of the Heritage Woods and Deer Path Assisted Living Centers in northwest suburban Huntley were taken back to the facilities at noon, officials said.

Officials said 77 residents were transported to the Huntley Village Hall, where they rested comfortably before heading back to the campus at 12500 Regency Parkway via ambulances and school buses this afternoon. Officials had contained the gas leak and determined the buildings were once again safe for occupancy, Huntley spokeswoman Jennifer Chernak said.

Among the evacuated were a dog and three cats, one of which is 22-years-old, Chernak noted.

"The evacuation went very smoothly, and we have no reported injuries," Chernak said, adding that among the fire and police departments assisting were Algonquin, Lake In the Hills and Woodstock.

According to the centers' websites, Heritage Woods of Huntley houses people ages 62 and older, while Deer Path is home to residents ages 22-64 with physical disabilities.